In a significant development for daily commuters, the Pune city police have announced a marked improvement in traffic flow across the city's main arteries. According to data released during their annual press conference, the average speed of vehicles on Pune's main roads has increased by 10.44 percent. This positive change is attributed to a series of strategic interventions labelled as "Low Cost Traffic Management Techniques (LCTM)".
Coordinated Efforts Yield Concrete Results
The comprehensive initiative was spearheaded by Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil, who coordinated efforts with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and other relevant agencies. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar highlighted that the benefits extend beyond just speed. He stated that alongside the rise in average speed, the monthly average of severe traffic congestion at major city locations has plummeted by 50 percent. The data shows a reduction from an average of 300 monthly traffic congestions in previous years to just 150 in 2025.
The police provided specific figures to illustrate the progress. Previously, the average vehicle speed on main roads was recorded at 22.5 kilometers per hour. Following the implementation of various measures, this average has now improved to 19.5 kilometers per hour. A multi-pronged approach was adopted to achieve these results, including physical changes to road infrastructure and enhanced enforcement.
Key Infrastructure and Enforcement Measures
The traffic police and PMC rolled out a detailed plan to optimize movement. The measures implemented were diverse and targeted specific pain points:
- Closure of 23 junctions or imposition of right-turn bans.
- Creation of seven one-way roads to streamline flow.
- Synchronization of 101 traffic signals to create green corridors.
- Modification of medians at 20 spots by opening or closing them as needed.
- Relocation of 19 bus stops and five luxury bus pick-up points to reduce bottlenecks.
- Road surfacing work on 12 major arterial roads.
- Elimination of six key bottlenecks and rectifying problems at ten water-logging points on main roads.
Parallel to infrastructure tweaks, enforcement was significantly ramped up. The number of e-challans issued for traffic violations saw a sharp rise, underlining a stricter regime. From 10,32,421 e-challans in 2023 and 11,04,158 in 2024, the figure jumped to 18,37,375 in 2025. Police Commissioner Kumar credited the improved traffic flow and the increased prosecution of offences like triple seat riding, wrong-side driving, and drunk driving for the overall positive outcome.
Zero Tolerance on Drunk and Reckless Driving
Following the tragic Porsche crash incident, the police intensified action against drunk driving, adopting a policy of "zero tolerance." Special drives led to a staggering increase in cases. While only 384 cases were registered in 2023, the number rose to 5,286 in 2024. In 2025, from January 1 to December 23, a total of 6,281 individuals were booked for driving under the influence of alcohol.
The crackdown extended to other dangerous practices. Cases against triple seat riding on two-wheelers also saw a dramatic surge. From 22,087 cases in 2023 and 48,479 in 2024, the number rose to 68,940 cases in 2025 (till December 23).
A Welcome Decline in Road Fatalities
One of the most crucial outcomes of this holistic traffic management effort is a tangible drop in road accident deaths. Police data indicates a promising downward trend. In the year 2025 so far, 275 people have lost their lives in 260 road accidents. This marks a decrease from 345 deaths in 2024, 351 in 2023, and 325 in 2022, suggesting that improved traffic discipline and flow are contributing to enhanced road safety in Pune.
